The field of the present disclosure relates to thrombus retrieval devices for use in thrombectomies and similar procedures.
Thrombus retrieval devices are frequently used in thrombectomies to dislodge and retrieve a thrombus or clot from narrow intraluminal passages. When a thrombus attaches or forms on the wall of an intraluminal passage, often thrombus retrieval devices are used to detach the thrombus from the wall of the intraluminal passage.
In some situations, the thrombus may have a hardened surface which prevents the device from capturing it, particularly if the device is required to pierce through a portion of the thrombus. Additionally, the thrombus may not detach easily from the wall of the intraluminal passage. In such a situation, a thrombolytic agent may be applied to the intraluminal passage. This may be applied generally intravenously, however general application of a thrombolytic agent reduces the ability of a patient's blood to clot properly and can cause severe problems in patients with high blood pressure or active bleeding. Furthermore, general application of a thrombolytic agent may require substantial time to affect a specific thrombus, sometimes requiring several hours of application.
To avoid the complications of general application of a thrombolytic agent, a catheter may be advanced to the location of the thrombus. Once present, the thrombolytic agent may be applied locally through the catheter, mitigating some of the effects of general application. However, the addition of the catheter adds a layer of complexity to the thrombectomy procedure, requiring either advancing a separate thrombolytic agent catheter over a wire guide separate from the retrieval device and its corresponding wire guide, or advancing and then retracting the thrombolytic agent catheter over the same wire guide used with the retrieval device. The former method of having separate wire guides for the thrombolytic agent catheter and the retrieval device can be difficult where the intraluminal passage is narrow, such as within the brain, where thrombectomies are often performed. The latter method of advancing the thrombolytic agent catheter over the same wire guide used with the retrieval device can be time consuming where the catheter may be advanced and then retracted before the retrieval device is advanced. Furthermore, this latter option can be even more time consuming where the initial application of the thrombolytic agent is found to be insufficient for the retrieval device to capture the thrombus. In such situations, the retrieval device may be retracted and the thrombolytic agent catheter advanced once again to apply the agent to the thrombus. This extremely time consuming operation is unacceptable where the thrombus is blocking blood flow to vital organs such as the heart or the brain, as is often the case.
What is needed is a method of efficiently applying a thrombolytic agent locally, while still being able to quickly capture and remove a thrombus from an intraluminal passage. It is further desirable that the thrombolytic agent may be capable of being applied while the retrieval device is attempting to capture the thrombus.